Following the success of Percy Jackson and the Olympians' first season on Disney+, many fans may be looking to read, re-read, or read more of the many other Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan.
Beyond the original five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books, there are several different follow-up series and stories. Diving into such a seemingly complex world may seem daunting, but like any of the series' many quests, the journey and rewards make it more than worthwhile.
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How To Read Percy Jackson in Order (3 Ways)
The Direct has mapped out three different approaches to reading through the world of Percy Jackson created by Rick Riordan — each more in-depth than the last. All lists are presented in timeline order rather than the order in which they were published.
All you need to do is pick the list that matches how you want to engage with the books, find the books at your local library, bookstore, or online retailer, and get lost in the world you are about to enter.
Welcome, Demigods.
Order 1: Percy Jackson Books & Sequel Series
The core of the Percy Jackson universe is in its three series (and one standalone book) devoted to Greek and Roman mythology. Sticking to this order is no doubt the most straightforward and intuitive way to read the books as it only covers these main books, and the timeline and publication order are close to identical:
- The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians [PJO] 1)
- The Sea of Monsters (PJO 2)
- The Titan's Curse (PJO 3)
- The Battle of the Labyrinth (PJO 4)
- The Last Olympian (PJO 5)
- The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus [HoO] 1)
- The Son of Neptune (HoO 2)
- The Mark of Athena (HoO 3)
- The House of Hades (HoO 4)
- The Blood of Olympus (HoO 5)
- The Chalice of the Gods (PJO 6)
- The Wrath of the Triple Goddesses (PJO 7, releasing September 2024)
- TBD (PJO 8)
- The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo [ToA] 1)
- The Dark Prophecy (ToA 2)
- The Burning Maze (ToA 3)
- The Tyrant's Tomb (ToA 4)
- The Tower of Nero (ToA 5)
- The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Books 1-5)
This is where it all began. The first five Percy Jackson books (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) chronicle Percy's first few years at Camp Half-Blood and the quests he embarks upon along the way. These books are narrated from Percy's first-person perspective and include goofy chapter names like "I Wrestle Santa's Evil Twin."
The Heroes of Olympus (Books 1-5)
The Heroes of Olympus is the first Percy Jackson sequel series that both literally and figuratively expands the world introduced already by bringing in Roman mythology along with the familiar Greek.
These books are roughly double the length of the original series and are told in rotating, third-person perspectives, with a different set of narrators for each book. Though The Heroes of Olympus deals with more mature topics and themes, it still features the same wit and charm fans of the first series know and love.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Books 6 & the Soon-To-Come 7 & 8)
Almost 20 years after the release of The Lightning Thief, Riordan surprised fans with a sixth addition to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, bringing back Percy's first-person narration and silly chapter titles. Released in 2023 and dedicated to Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, and Leah Sava Jeffries, The Chalice of the Gods sees Percy in his first of three quests for college recommendation letters from the Olympians.
The seventh book in the series, The Wrath of the Triple Goddesses, will be released on September 24. According to Riordan's blog, this is the second of three planned PJO follow-ups.
The Trials of Apollo (Books 1-5)
The Trials of Apollo is the first Camp Half-Blood series not to see Percy Jackson as the protagonist of any of its books. However, his absence allows for new and old characters alike to take the spotlight.
The series follows the god Apollo after Zeus casts him off Olympus and punishes him by turning him into a mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. Stripped of his immortality and godly powers, Apollo (with the help of characters from both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter) must face several trials to earn back what he once had.
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure is a standalone book, co-written by Riordan and Mark Oshiro. It picks up some final plot threads left loose by the end of The Trials of Apollo and gives the fan-favorite character Nico di Angelo his quest and story.
He and Will Solace — who have both been around since the Percy Jackson and the Olympians era — must endure the darkest parts of the mythological world, learning about each other and themselves.
Order 2: All Books in Percy Jackson Universe
Rick Riordan has explored more than just Greek and Roman mythology in his various books. Stories about Egyptian and Norse myths co-exist alongside those featured in the Percy Jackson books. This reading order is fairly similar to the last one, with only six books added where they fit in the chronology:
- The Lightning Thief (PJO 1)
- The Sea of Monsters (PJO 2)
- The Titan's Curse (PJO 3)
- The Battle of the Labyrinth (PJO 4)
- The Last Olympian (PJO 5)
- The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles [TKC] 1)
- The Throne of Fire (TKC 2)
- The Serpent's Shadow (TKC 3)
- The Lost Hero (HoO 1)
- The Son of Neptune (HoO 2)
- The Mark of Athena (HoO 3)
- The House of Hades (HoO 4)
- The Blood of Olympus (HoO 5)
- The Chalice of the Gods (PJO 6)
- The Wrath of the Triple Goddesses (PJO 7, releasing September 24)
- TBD (PJO 8)
- The Hidden Oracle (ToA 1)
- The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard [MCGA] 1)
- The Dark Prophecy (ToA 2)
- The Burning Maze (ToA 3)
- The Hammer of Thor (MCGA 2)
- The Ship of the Dead (MCGA 3)
- The Tyrant's Tomb (ToA 4)
- The Tower of Nero (ToA 5)
- The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
The Kane Chronicles (Books 1-3)
Riordan's first series after the original five Percy Jackson and the Olympians novels, The Kane Chronicles, brings the myths, legends, and gods of Ancient Egypt into the modern day. The trilogy centers on the adventures of Carter and Sadie Kane — two of the most powerful magicians since Ancient Egypt — and their efforts to save the world from the evil god Set.
The series features minor references to the Percy Jackson novels — things like a mention of the different set of gods who live in New York City (referring to the Olympians themselves) and the introduction of characters like Drew Tanaka and Lacy, who would later appear in The Heroes of Olympus.
The biggest connection between the Greek and Egyptian stories, though, will come later, in the third reading list.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Books 1-3)
Whereas The Kane Chronicles deviates from the standard demigod format of Riordan's mythology stories, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard goes all in on it. The titular Magnus is the son of the Norse God Frey. After dying saving someone else, he moves into Hotel Valhalla, and throughout three books, he and fellow demigods fight to delay the destructive Ragnarok
The biggest connection between the Magnus Chase trilogy and Percy Jackson is Magnus himself, as he is the cousin of Percy Jackson's Annabeth Chase. Annabeth appears in all three Magnus Chase books and brings Percy in the third.
Order 3: All Books, Guides & Stories in Percy Jackson Universe
This one is for the superfans, as it includes every piece of published Percy Jackson canon. The reading order itself will separate most of the short stories from longer collections into their places on the timeline, but they will be discussed in collections.
Some of these collections feature fictionalized interviews with campers or other meta storytelling methods. To create a chronological timeline, those can be placed with whichever short story they are closest to in proximity:
- The Demigod Diaries: The Diary of Luke Castellan
- The Lightning Thief (PJO 1)
- The Sea of Monsters (PJO 2)
- The Titan's Curse (PJO 3)
- The Demigod Files: Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot
- The Battle of the Labyrinth (PJO 4)
- The Demigod Files: Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon
- The Demigod Files: Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades
- The Last Olympian (PJO 5)
- The Demigod Diaries: Son of Magic
- The Red Pyramid (TKC 1)
- The Throne of Fire (TKC 2)
- The Serpent's Shadow (TKC 3)
- The Demigod Diaries: Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes
- Percy Jackson's Greek Gods
- Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Ultimate Guide
- The Lost Hero (HoO 1)
- The Demigod Diaries: Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford
- The Son of Neptune (HoO 2)
- The Mark of Athena (HoO 3)
- The House of Hades (HoO 4)
- The Blood of Olympus (HoO 5)
- Camp Half-Blood Confidential
- Demigods & Magicians: The Son of Sobek
- Demigods & Magicians: The Staff of Serapis
- Demigods & Magicians: The Crown of Ptolemy
- Brooklyn House Magician's Manual
- Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds
- Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio's Journal
- The Chalice of the Gods (PJO 6)
- The Wrath of the Triple Goddesses (PJO 7, releasing September 24)
- TBD (PJO 8)
- The Hidden Oracle (ToA 1)
- The Sword of Summer (MCGA 1)
- The Dark Prophecy (ToA 2)
- The Burning Maze (ToA 3)
- The Hammer of Thor (MCGA 2)
- The Ship of the Dead (MCGA 3)
- 9 from the Nine Worlds
- The Tyrant's Tomb (ToA 4)
- The Tower of Nero (ToA 5)
- Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes
- The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
- Un Natale Mezzosangue
The Demigod Diaries (4 Short Stories, Collected)
The Demigod Diaries is a collection of four short stories published in 2012, offering extra background and context for fan-favorite Percy Jackson characters.
The collection brings fans the only opportunity thus far to read from Luke Castellan's perspective, more time with Percabeth, and some filler for the gap between The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune. Additionally, Rick Riordan's son, Haley Riordan, wrote the post-The Last Olympian story Son of Magic.
The Demigod Files (3 Short Stories, Collected)
Published in 2009 before The Demigod Diaries (but with its earliest story happening after the former's earliest chronologically), The Demigod Files is a collection of three short stories from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians era.
They all feature Percy prominently, but characters like Clarisse La Rue, Annabeth, Charles Beckendorff, Silena Beuregard, Thalia, and Nico di Angelo all have prominent roles. Two of the three stories directly tie into the events of The Heroes of Olympus, being described briefly in The Lost Hero and The House of Hades.
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods/Heroes (2 Guides)
If you're a fan of classic Percy Jackson narration and/or want to learn more about the Greek myths that inspired the Percy Jackson novels, these books are for you. Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes are essentially crash courses on Greek mythology, as taught by Percy Jackson.
As such, you can expect silly chapter titles, goofy quips, and anachronisms, right alongside beautiful illustrations by John Rocco and informative storytelling from Riordan.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Ultimate Guide (Guide)
It is first worth noting that 2009's Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Ultimate Guide is a little tricky to find. There is no Kindle version available for purchase, and it feels unlikely you'd find it in stores given its use of since-updated official character art. Though, it's not impossible to find, thanks to online retailers.
Still, if you get your hands on a copy, it is full of detailed information about mythology, Camp Half-Blood (including a map), and the characters from the novels. When I first got a copy as a kid, I diligently took the "Ten Signs You Might Be A Half-Blood" quiz it includes to give myself more immersion into this world.
Camp Half-Blood, Camp Jupiter, Magicians, & Hotel Valhalla Guidebooks (Guides)
Riordan has written four worldbuilding guidebooks to the main modern mythological series he has written. There is one on Camp Half-Blood (Greek), Camp Jupiter (Roman), a Magicians' guide (Egyptian), and Hotel Valhalla and the nine realms of Asgard (Norse).
These are filled with silly anecdotes and fascinatingly detailed information. Plus, they all serve in-universe purposes — for example, Camp Half-Blood's is a replacement for the often-referenced abysmal orientation video shown to new campers.
Demigods & Magicians (3 Connected Short Stories, Collected)
Demigods & Magicians is a collection of three short stories published in 2016 — though the stories themselves had all been released separately before being collected in one book together. As the title suggests, mythologies collide as Percy and Annabeth team up with Carter and Sadie Kane, battling a common enemy together. The first story features Percy and Carter, the second Annabeth and Sadie, and the third all four heroes.
Like any good crossover, there is, of course, the initial misunderstanding and fight between heroes who don't realize they are on the same side. But once everyone gets on the same page (metaphorically and literally), they form an unstoppable team.
9 From The Nine Worlds (9 Connected Short Stories, Collected)
When I was creating this reading order, 9 from the Nine Worlds stumped me. The premise is the reader joins Thor on a run around the nine realms, wherein he passes through various short stories starring different characters from the Magnus Chase novels. The thing is, many of these stories take place in different time periods from the others. Unlike The Demigod Diaries, though, you can't separate these from the other eight, as you lose the Thor narrative connecting each of them.
All this to say, each realm gets its own story (written by Riordan), with Thor as your guide and the only character to appear in all nine.
Un Natale Mezzosangue/A Half-Blood Christmas (Short Story, Online)
In 2020, Rick Riordan wrote a holiday-themed one-shot story about Nico helping Percy find a gift for Annabeth, and it is entirely in Italian. It takes place during COVID-19, so there are references to mask-wearing and social distancing.
The entire story is available to read on Riordan's website — just be sure to translate the page if you can't read the original Italian writing.
If that still wasn't enough Percy Jackson, the first season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is streaming on Disney+.
Read More Percy Jackson and the Olympians news:
Percy Jackson Season 2 Release, Cast & Everything We Know
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